REGENCY: Loved by the Duke (Historical Billionaire Military Romance) (19th Century Victorian Short Stories) (42 page)

Chapter 2

Brian seemed to enjoy his ice cream as his mother tried to get in contact with her clients. They all seemed to be busy. She groaned. She wished she was born into money. She had been working hard all of her life and never seemed to have enough. She had enough saved to get by but remembered that she also had to pay for the hospital bills.  She needed to find another way to make money or to work longer hours. She looked at Brian and knew that she would do anything to make sure that he had everything that he needed. She was concerned that he didn’t seem to have a father figure. He was getting older and soon would be asking a lot of questions that she couldn’t answer by herself. She sighed. It wasn’t like she wasn’t trying. She had been on numerous dates. The guys were always suave and sophisticated and were so romantic and patient and loving and loyal. They were also charming and charismatic. But the moment that she mentioned she had a son, they would immediately disappear.

Brian kept licking the ice cream until it plopped over. He looked at it sadly.

“It’s ok, mommy will be you another one.” She headed to the shop and bought him another one. He beamed. He was so happy with his replacement. He began licking it right away. She smiled at him. She may not have been a big success after college, but he was her biggest achievement to date. They left the shop and continued their journey.  Brian was heading to his grandparent’s house. He happily walked alongside his mother and smiled. He had a milk mustache from the ice cream and could not be prouder of it. As soon as they reached the house, she immediately noticed it and tried to wipe it of but it was stuck to his face. She knocked on the door and her mother answered.

“Hi, mom. I need to use the bathroom.” She immediately headed to the bathroom and blotted a piece of napkin with water. She then called Brian to the bathroom and began to wipe off the somewhat indelible moustache. When his upper lip was clean, they then exited the bathroom.

“Hi, pumpkin! Oh look how big my grandson has gotten!”

“Grandpa!” exclaimed Brian as he ran towards her father.

She smiled, “Hi dad!” His free arm stretched out as he beckoned for her. He then hugged the both of them and then let them go.  He was always happy to have guests.

“I am glad that you found time to visit your old man and you brought my favorite person,” he said as he asked Brian to give him a high five.

“Hey! I thought I was your favorite person!”

He looked over at Brian and lifted him up and carried him around like an airplane. Brian was amused and helped his grandfather with the sounds.

He then looked over at Tina and responded, “Not anymore.” He continued to play with Brian and then when he was tired, rested him on his feet.

“Again! Grandpa Again!” he exclaimed jumping up and down on the floor.

“Sweetheart, grandpa needs a break.” He reclined himself on the Lazyboy and put his feet up. Her mother came into the room and looked at them suspiciously.

“So, what brings you here, Tina? You hardly phone or visit. So, why did you suddenly decide to visit?”

Tina looked around and sighed. She felt like a horrible daughter.

“Mom, I am so sorry. I have been so busy with work and Brian that I just can’t seem to do everything. I promise to call and text and visit more often.”

“Mhm. That is what you said the last time.”

“Come on mom, life is just rough me for right now. It’s not easy being a single mother. I have all of these responsibilities and no help.”

Her mother cleared her throat.  “Child, we are always here to help. If someone could just put their pride aside and ask for it, she might actually get it.”

She looked at her mother, “fair enough.”

She then slightly bent over and looked at Brian, “Does anyone want cookies?”

Brian screamed, “Yay! I do!” she then grabbed his hand and headed to the kitchen. Before she left, she looked at Tina and said, “Sweetheart, you know that we always love you and are always here to help.” She then headed into the kitchen. The relationship between her parents was always quite strange after she became a mother. Her parents always had high hopes for her future. She was intelligent and ambitious and had her whole life ahead of her. They expected her to become a successful businesswoman and now she was a mother. She always delayed visits because she could feel the tension in the air. When she did visit, she made sure that they were brief because she could not stay in this awkward environment for very long.  She walked into the kitchen and saw her mother giving her soon one of her organic cookies. Her mother used to make very fattening dishes filled with sugar when she was growing up, but ever since she got older, her diet changed. Her mother had a knack for making amazing and healthy foods, even down to the desserts! She never worried for a minute about her son’s diet when she brought him over. While Brian was busy eating, her mother walked over to her and said, “I think Brian is a bit skinny for his age. Is everything ok?” She looked at him. He did seem a bit skinnier than usual but it was no call for concern.

“I know but he normally looks like that.”

Her mother looked at him again, “Honey, look at the bags under his eyes! You can’t say that those are normal for a boy his age! I think those doctors in the hospital are not giving you the full story. I think you need a second opinion.

She groaned. She knew her mother could be a nag but maybe she was right. Maybe she should carry him to another doctor.

“But where am I going to find the money?”

“What part of “we are willing to help” don’t you understand?”

\She sighed, “But I don’t always want to depend on you for everything.” They both looked at Brian as he began to cough. “Right now, I don’t think you have much of a choice.” Tina immediately ran to Brian’s side. She got him a glass of water and rubbed his back while he drank it.

She then looked at him and said, “Why don’t you go lie down while mommy talks to grandma and grandpa?”

He was hesitant at first. All he did for the entire afternoon was lie down! With some convincing from his mother, he begrudgingly headed upstairs, slowly putting one foot in front of the other. When he was finally upstairs, she sat down and spoke with her parents.

“I know that child is sick. I can feel it. Something is wrong with him,” said her mother.

Tina was inclined to believe her. She had a sixth sense about these things.

“I understand but where should I take him? Where am I going to find that type of money?”

Her father looked at her and said, “I have some money saved up and I can lend you some to pay the medical bills. I think the life of our grandson is more important.  I would be willing to help you out with this.”

“So would I. Your father and I have also made some successful investments and we would not mind helping you out at all.”

Tina smiled.  She was fortunate to still be able to depend on her parents after everything, she was grateful for everything that they had done. Her phone than rang. Her boss wanted her back at work. She groaned.

“Mom, dad, can you look after Brian please? I have to get back to work.”

She decided to head upstairs and to tell Brian that she was leaving.

“Brian, mommy has to get back to work, I will see you later, ok?”

There was absolute silence. Brian did not respond.

“Brian? Brian?” Only quiet responded to her cries.

“Brian!” she ran up the stairs and her parents followed.  They went to the guest room and were stunned by what they saw. Brian was lying on the floor and blood came out of his mouth. Her mother immediately called the ambulance.

Brian was once again hooked up to the machines. Tina was worried.  She was back here again in less than 24 hours. Something must be wrong with Brian. The same nurse entered the room. She seemed very scared. She looked at her and then immediately bowed her head.

“Hi, Ms. James, I am sorry to tell you this, but it is our fault. We just acquired some interns from medical school and they seemed to have mixed up the charts with another 11 year old. Your son is very sick. His bloodwork is showing some abnormalities and we are currently running multiple tests.”

“That’s what you said the last time! I could sue this hospital for this! This is my son’s life that we are talking about here!” She knew she was shouting. Her parents who had accompanied her to the hospital, tried to calm her down. She was enraged by the nurse’s announcement and felt like she had every right to be. She hated that they did not pick up on it sooner.  Her parents pulled her away and carried her to the seat. She immediately began to cry. She hated the fact that she couldn’t do more to help her son. Her parents began to comfort her and reassured her. She wiped her eyes and sat up. She never expected something like this to happen to her son; her own flesh and blood. Her eyes were still red and her face was stained with tears. She excused herself and headed to the bathroom.

She washed her face and took a good look at herself in the mirror. She wished that her son did not have to suffer. She just wished she knew what it was. The uncertainty was doing more damage than the actual diagnosis. When she had finally composed herself, she left the bathroom and headed back into the waiting room. As she was walking back to her parents, the nurse approached them.

“Hi, are you Brian’s mother?” Tina nodded. “Yes, why? What’s the matter with my son?”

“I think you all should have a seat.” She sat down nervously in her chair. She knew it was bad words. She looked at the nurse and knew that she was trying to find the right words in order to explain the situation. Then she finally did.

“I am sorry to tell you this but your son has leukemia. We need to start chemotherapy right away.”

Chapter 3

“Hey Tina! Why don’t you take a break from your studies and go to that frat party five blocks down?” Tina’s roommate Jessie was a party animal. She had to be at every party on campus. She was beautiful with long, straight black hair. Her parents were rich so she could do whatever she wanted. She was guaranteed a smooth ride throughout life.  Tina, on the other hand worked for everything she wanted. Her grades were one of those current tasks. She wanted to leave college and get a good job. She wanted to have an amazing life and be her own boss. Distractions such as drinking and parties were simply not necessary. She was one of the top students in her class and worked very hard to get there and even harder to stay there.

Jessica always thought she was a bit weird.  Tina just always had her nose in a book and refused to move it from that resting position. She enjoyed learning and read even in her spare time. Ideas of business and commerce, Psychology and Philosophy always grabbed her and consumed her. She didn’t have a lot of friends although she and her roommate were quite close. She was happy and comfortable in her solitude. Jessica was the opposite of her and always needed to go out. This time, she was intent on bringing Tina with her.

“Come on Tina, you hardly go anywhere except the library. I believe in Psychology, they emphasize the importance of being social.”

Tina was still not convinced. “I’m not going.”

Jessica began to pull on Tina’s leg, “But you have to!”

Tina shook her hand off and kept reading. The book was reaching to the climax.

“Tina, I hear the guy that you have a crush on will be there.” Tina laughed to herself and closed the book for a second.

“What guy, Jessica?”

Jessica began to stutter, “The guy that you have a crush on.”

“What’s his name?”

“I…. I don’t know. You are so secretive! It’s hard to get anything out of you!”

Tina smiled and opened her book once again. Jessica snapped her fingers. She had an idea.

“How about I do your laundry for a week?”  Tina closed the book once more. She had her attention now, “And I clean your room?”

Tina was intrigued by this deal. “Make it two weeks and you have deal.”

Jessica beamed, “Great!” They shook on it. Tina closed the book and began looking for an outfit. She then pulled out a tight red dress and some heels. Jessica was impressed by her wardrobe.  She wouldn’t expect to find anything like that in her closet.

“Why don’t you dress like that more often, Tina?”

Tina closed the closet and sat down on her bed. “Because, I don’t have to if I don’t want to.” She got up and looked for accessories. She then swayed her hips and sat back down. Jessica had never seen this side of her before. She always thought that she was a nerd.  Tina always seemed like she had her life figured out and everything seemed to be so perfect. But in this moment she saw this other side of her; a side of class and sophistication that rarely came out. Jessica looked at the time and decided to get ready. She wanted to be late but she wanted there to still be a party when she arrived.

Tina was finished getting ready. She looked stunning. The red dress and shoes complemented her mocha skin. Her make-up was well done and her curly hair actually did not frizz. She felt attractive. She turned around in the mirror. Everything seemed perfect. Jessica was finally finished and looked at Tina. She was stunning.

“Wow! You clean up nice!” Jessica was born with good looks. She could put on a pair of jeans and a shirt and still look nice.

“You don’t look so bad yourself!”

“Please, I am always gorgeous!” She said as she flipped her hair. She was excited about the party. Her boyfriend and all of her friends would be there.

They left the dormitory and headed to the fraternity. Loud music could be heard from outside. Jessica began to dance. She could not contain her excitement for much longer. She grabbed Tina by the hand and entered the party. People were dancing and having a good time. There were beer kegs and everyone seemed to be drinking. Tina had never drunk before. Her parents were always so strict about what she should and shouldn’t do, although, they didn’t have to be. Her uncle was a chronic alcoholic and the rest of her family had issues. She saw the consequences of making the wrong decisions within her own bloodline and had always walked the straight and narrow path as a result of their misfortunes. She just decided to have clean fun and then get back to her book. When she entered the room, everyone stopped and stared at Tina. Jessica was slightly jealous as she normally received all of the attention. No one had ever seen Tina dress that well. She was beautiful. Guys started to come over to her and flirt with her. She never received this type of attention in her entire life. It gave her confidence. She noticed from a distance a very handsome guy who looked like a younger version of Pierce Brosnan doing a keg stand as his friends encouraged him to chug. He looked over at her and nearly lost his focus. He felt strongly attracted to her. He continued to chug on the beer. She looked around the room and decided to go for a drink. She might as well try to fit in while she was here. She saw various activities such as spin the bottle and beer pong going on. She just decided to look on as she wasn’t interested in participating.

One of the guys who tried to approach her but could not handle being rejected leaned over by the bar. He had a drink in his hand and carefully placed a drug into the drink. He hoped that Tina would be thirsty and need a drink. He then aw Tina heading towards the bar and he handed her the drink. He was going to have his way with her before the night was over. Tina begin to drink it as he smirked and watched her. The guy who was on the keg stand saw what had happened. He immediately lowered himself onto the floor and walked up to her. He knew what Brad was capable off. He was beginning to get a reputation and apparently had no shame. He was surprised that he could still walk. The liquor was in his system but he was still functional.

“Hi, I’m Thomas,” he said as he shook her hand, “and you are?”

“I’m Tina.” Tina began to feel the effects of the drug. Her steps became uneven and she swung from side to side. Thomas caught her.

“I think I need to lie down.” He immediately carried her to the bedroom where she plopped onto the bed. She began to laugh uncontrollably. So did he. There was something about her laugh that was so light and magical. He lay down next to her. She had beautiful brown eyes and curly hair. He began to play with one of her curls. She looked at him and felt something that she never felt before. So did he. He leaned over and kissed her. She felt further intoxicated by this type of affection. She kissed him back and then she found herself on top of him. She looked into his green-gray eyes and pulled on his shiny, black hair.

“Ow!” he exclaimed. She laughed as she swayed her hips. He let out a small soft groan. He was enjoying it. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the drugs. But they seemed to be comfortable around each other. She never felt so close to someone before. She let go of his hair, leaned in and kissed him passionately. She felt something slowly rise from his pants. She knew what it was.  She had never been with any man before and although the thought kept resurfacing, she was numb to the consequences. She knew something was wrong. She normally knew her limits. She felt drunk and out of control. She kept swaying side to side and kissed him once more. Thomas felt the rush of alcohol flooding his veins and clouding his judgement. He pulled her towards him and kissed her passionately as he moved his hips under her. It had been a while since Janet. He wanted to have Tina. He knew that they had classes together but she never looked as attractive as she did tonight. Normally, he would want to brag and boast his sexual conquests, but he felt something different between them. He couldn’t explain it. He grabbed her dress and pulled it down. She wore a black lace bra which perfectly held her bosoms in place. He reached out and began to squeeze. She moaned. She never expected herself to like this but she was on auto-pilot. Her body was in control. He grabbed the other one and once again she moaned. Thomas felt himself getting even harder. He knew he shouldn’t but he didn’t think that he would ever have a chance again. He pulled her in even closer and pulled her hair. She gasped. He then held her and put her on her back. She was losing breath. He stroked her neck and watched her shiver from his touch. She wanted give herself to him.  He was normally a rational man. He believed in facts and figures and would become a millionaire and inherit his father’s company. But this woman; this goddess in front of him made him question everything that he one believed in. He was now on top of her and slowly and gently took his time with her. He started with her neck and sucked and bit it for dear life. He realized that she was a bit noisy and covered her mouth with his hand. He then removed it and kissed her. He removed himself from her and admired her figure. The dress still clung to her body showing all curves and leaving almost nothing to the imagination. He knew he had started the process of undressing her and was greeted with her perfectly shaped and full bosoms which still hung out of her dress but he felt like he had to complete the process. He ran his hand up the slit of the dress and caressed her thigh.
So soft and so smooth
. He slightly tore the slit of the dress and moved downwards. He was at the foot of the bed and faced her. He then held her shoe and removed it. He worked his way up from her ankles, to her calves, to her thighs. He pushed her legs further apart and saw that she had a matching lace panty underneath her dress. Just as he was about to enjoy her, something told him that this felt wrong. He closed back her legs and looked up. She was fast asleep. The drugs had finally knocked her out. He fixed her dress and lay beside her once more. He waited for the party to die down before carrying her back to her dormitory. He knew that she lived with Jessica, his best friend’s girlfriend. Once the music was off and the voices died down, he carried her outside over his shoulders. He walked to her house and knocked on the door.

He waited until Jessica answered. She was in the room with another guy. Thomas gently rested Tina on the bed. He couldn’t believe how much of a tramp Jessica was! He was too drunk to process all of this. Jessica was ashamed of herself. She didn’t expect to get caught. He would talk to her later. He let the dorm and slammed the door behind him. Jessica asked the guy to leave. It seemed as though their own private party had started and her guest had no intention of leaving. She demanded that he leave right away before she called campus security He immediately left. He was on scholarship and was taking no chances. Jessica locked the door and returned to her bed. She sighed and looked at Tina. She was completely unconscious. Her make-up was smudged, her lipstick was smeared and her curls were all over the place. She noticed the slight tear in her dress. She got up out of the bed and decided to get rid of her make-up and change her clothes. When she looked like she was ready for bed, she tucked her in and then went back to bed. She then fell asleep knowing that tomorrow would be an interesting day for them both.

When Tina woke up, she realized that she could not remember much from last night. All of the flashing memories were unclear. She sat on her bed and began to panic. She looked down and realized that she was dressed in her pajamas. 
Maybe it was only a dream
. But it felt real. She looked around and noticed her red high heels were scattered on the floor and her dress was in the hamper with the other dirty clothes. She grew worried. She had always been responsible and now she couldn’t even keep track of her past actions. She decided to calm down and she took a few deep breaths. When she was relaxed, she looked over at her roommate. She was still asleep. Maybe Jessica knew what had happened. She eagerly waited. She hoped that Jessica would hurry up and wake up. When she did, she flooded her with numerous questions.

“Jessica, what happened last night?” Jessica was very groggy and tried to make sense of what had happened.

“From what I remember, we were at a frat part and then you disappeared and I tried to find you. When I couldn’t find you, I came back home.” Tina glared at her. Jessica shrugged her shoulders.

“What? I thought you were having a good time!”

“But you don’t just leave your roommate in a strange place!” She looked at Tina. I still don’t know how I got back home.

“Relax, Thomas brought you home. He is a good guy.”

She got up and walked up to Jessica, “Who is Thomas?”

“He is one of the frat members. Don’t worry. You are fine.”

She immediately changed her clothes and headed out the door. She was going to confront Thomas.  She knocked on the door and then James answered. Tina asked for Thomas. James called Thomas and invited her in. The place was pigsty. Cups were everywhere, there were stains and empty bottles of liquor scattered the floor. Random articles of clothing littered the room. She was disgusted by the sights.  Thomas came up to her.

“What happened last night, Thomas?”

Thomas looked at her and smiled. “Well hi to you too.” He was glad that he threw up and his hangover was no longer that severe. He was also glad that he brushed his teeth. 

“Thomas, I don’t have time for this. What happened last night?”

Thomas groaned and sat down next to her.

“Last night got out of hand.” Her face was painted with horror. “No! Not like that! I mean the party and behavior of everyone else. I was just trying to protect you.”